The benefits of paraphrasing in a tricky conversation.

Prepared this episode thinking I was going to talk about communication. Ended up sitting with how often I've walked away from a conversation certain we were aligned. We weren't. buff.ly/HboUtSO

Just wrapped two days running a coaching masterclass in Shanghai. Eight leaders, loads of snacks, two full coaching rehearsals with feedback in between. The shift from rehearsal one to rehearsal two was brilliant to watch.

Signal. Restate. Check. That's it. Three steps. Paraphrasing done properly surfaces misunderstandings before they become two weeks of confusion. Latest episode: buff.ly/HboUtSO

Day two of my Leading as a Coach Masterclass in Shanghai. Today we rehearse!

Managers overestimate how clear their feedback is by over 40%. Nearly half. And it's worse when the message is uncomfortable. Worth thinking about. Listen here: buff.ly/HboUtSO #SchoolLeadership

All set up and raring to go! 🎉 8 of us in Shanghai for two days of Leading as a Coach. Getting practical, getting vulnerable, and having fun doing it. It’s chucking it down outside but we won’t let that dampen spirits. Let’s do this! #EducationLeaders #LeadingAsACoach #Shanghai

I asked "does everyone understand?" They all nodded. Two weeks later: three people, three completely different interpretations. It wasn't poor communication. It was no habit to verify it. That's what this episode is about. Listen here: buff.ly/HboUtSO

Thoughts on this ad campaign? Combine 5 INSET days in to 1 week a year to support family holidays… I’m not convinced. www.instagram.com/reel/DVIamIs...

We're live in 5! Facebook: buff.ly/JDNHhyF LinkedIn: buff.ly/JBoO5DH Youtube: buff.ly/mdoUTU9

Do you have an Advice Monster? Michael Bungay Stanier says we all do. Tell-It, Save-It, or Control-It. In that moment it takes over, you're basically telling the other person they're not good enough. Which one are you? 👇 #leadership #educationleaders #coaching

A sixth-form student found the school online, did all his research, then persuaded his parents it was the right one. The school didn't reach him. He found them. That says everything: buff.ly/OenfUlu #SchoolLeadership

"Authentic leadership isn't what you say about yourself. It's what others say about you." Selina Boyd changed how I'm thinking about school storytelling. New ep: buff.ly/OenfUlu

Running weather is back in Shanghai. Feeling grateful 🙏 Wherever you are in the world, have a cracking Sunday!

Selina's doorbell went off mid-recording. DHL delivering to a neighbour. What followed was one of the most useful conversations I've had about what parents actually want from schools. Worth a listen: buff.ly/OenfUlu

Most change doesn't fail dramatically. It just fizzles. Things get hard. You think you'll deal with it later. You don't. Life gets busy. It fades. The fix? Plan for it before you start. Not "what if we get stuck." What HAPPENS when we get stuck. From our book, Change Starts Here.

Most schools obsess over their story. The website. The prospectus. But parents aren't reading that first. They're asking each other. What does authentic school storytelling actually look like? This week's newsletter 👇 educationleaders.kit.com/posts/tellin...

This is wild! I can’t imagine choosing a school and *not* looking at official reports about it. And yet, here we have only 20% of Gen Z parents doing that…

Honoured to be joining Louise Marie on Teacher Talk Radio next week.

Only 1 in 5 Gen Z parents reads an official inspection report when choosing a school. So what are they reading instead? We talked about it: buff.ly/OenfUlu #SchoolLeadership

Before Selina even visits a school for the Good Schools Guide, she's already been talking to parents. Not reading the website. Talking to parents. That reframed a lot for me. Latest episode:

"Six weeks, staff will love it, results by half term." Six months later: still implementing, staff resisting, no results yet. Every. Single. Time. Listen here: buff.ly/NHOWPaw

Shanghai is quiet today. Wet streets. Families behind every closed door. Year of the Horse. 🐴 Everyone talks about the horse's speed. I keep coming back to loyalty. Horses run WITH you. More people. More schools. More of this work in the right hands. 新年快乐 🎉

I've been seeing some pretty compelling arguments online this week about why saying "Lunar New Year" is cultural erasure, that it strips the Chinese origins from a distinctly Chinese festival. A thread 🧵

Good news: your brain updates strongly. Bad news: barely registers. We're literally wired to ignore warnings. This wrecks project planning constantly. Listen here: buff.ly/NHOWPaw #SchoolLeadership

Five cognitive biases sabotage your decisions constantly. You can't eliminate them, they're how your brain works. But you can catch yourself before you mess up. Listen here: buff.ly/NHOWPaw

I've been seeing some pretty compelling arguments online this week about why saying "Lunar New Year" is cultural erasure, that it strips the Chinese origins from a distinctly Chinese festival. A thread 🧵

That programme you're protecting, is it working or do you just love it because it's yours? Endowment effect makes you value things just because they're yours. Not because they're objectively valuable. Listen here: buff.ly/NHOWPaw

If Carlsberg did Thursdays, today would be it! Started the day chatting with Zaretta Hammond and just finished chatting with Melati Wijsen #LifeIsGood

Two spots left. That's it. Leading as a Coach Masterclass — 27-28 February, central Shanghai. Two days in a small group setting where you actually practice. Bring a colleague. Learn together. Apply it Monday morning. leadingasacoach.eventbrite.com

Brilliant candidate. Compelling refugee camp story. Hired her mentally in 5 minutes. Total mismatch. We anchored on that opening and missed everything else. Listen here: buff.ly/NHOWPaw

Thank you, Trevor 😊 I reckon this programme is the most intensive, practical and innovative leadership development programme out there. Next cohort starts September. Comment below if you'd like me to send you more info.

Last week, students, on the MEd, Leading the Wellbeing School, and staff, from StMary's University College, Belfast, welcomed international leadership expert, @shaneleaning.com, who gave an inspirational talk, took questions and directed workshops, all 𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲 by video link from Shanghai, China.

Why do coaches in the US move to assistant principal as soon as they get good at coaching? Gene explains the career ladder problem that keeps coaching programs stuck. Listen here: buff.ly/9nm3O4t

Our paperback is on offer this week. Get your copy here: amzn.eu/d/016yrsAI #ChangeStartsHere

Jim Knight's first coaching articles appeared in 2004. We've only been doing this for 20 years. And Gene says we're still butchering it. Sobering conversation. Listen here: buff.ly/9nm3O4t

The most effective part of PD is the one we all avoid: rehearsal. We'll read about techniques, discuss them, plan to use them. But practise out loud in front of colleagues? No thanks. That awkward practice is what actually sticks. What's stopping it in your school? 👀 buff.ly/rSKzFMq

The culture develops through the work, not before it. Stop waiting for perfect conditions to start coaching in your school. Listen here: buff.ly/9nm3O4t

On my way to check out the venue for something I’m genuinely excited about. We’re bringing formative action to Shanghai – turning assessment into something that actually changes what happens in classrooms. If you’re curious: www.pdacademia.com/implementing...

It's coming up to midnight and I'm up..... Just about to deliver a guest lecture for MEd students at St Mary's University College Belfast on how to lead effective professional change. Can't wait!

"Coaching is confidential" might be the thing killing coaching programs. Gene calls it a lethal mutation. His doctor analogy changed how I think about this. Listen here: buff.ly/9nm3O4t

Gene Tavernetti told me he doesn't tell educators at parties that he's an instructional coach because they've had so many bad experiences with coaching. That's our starting point. Listen here: buff.ly/9nm3O4t #SchoolLeadership

Sometimes the frameworks don't help. Sometimes logic isn't enough. Sometimes you just need to feel the feelings, and that's okay too. buff.ly/Kfl2BjL

Posted about waking up feeling like an imposter and the response was overwhelming. Person after person saying "me too." Shame can't survive empathy. Listen here: buff.ly/Kfl2BjL

Art unveiling yesterday. Liu Shuang's 4x4m painting connects Shanghai/London. Emma modelled for it - she's literally in there reaching across the cities. For me, artists painting connection when everything feels fractured is exactly what we need. Off to London later this year.

Small flat, big hearts. Our annual January party crammed friends from 10+ countries into our tiny Shanghai place. Chili, bread, music, laughter. Started after lockdown as a lifeline. Now it’s tradition. Year of the Horse, here we come.

My brain took three data points and constructed an entire narrative about my professional demise. Does yours do this too? buff.ly/Kfl2BjL

Speaking at the FOBISIA conference in Shanghai (March 19-21) on building bridges through collaboration. My session will walk through the question-based approach I use with international schools across Asia. Less telling, more listening. Anyone else going?

#21CLHK26 is delighted to have Shane Leaning @leaningshane to speak on “How to Lead Change Teachers Won’t Roll Their Eyes At” 21cl.link/lead-change-tips#21CLHK26 😄🚀 Learn practical leadership strategies that make change meaningful, credible, and engaging for teachers

Headrest UK's 2026 report: 82% of school leaders experienced abuse from parents last year. We've normalised this crisis. And it's not just happening in the UK. If you're carrying weight you don't talk about, you're not alone. educationleaders.kit.com/posts/abuse